Exposure therapy is actually recognizing the opposite: the reality of the primacy of affect over cognition (as confirmed by neuroscience). With exposure therapy it would generally be rather difficult for a client to block/dissociate, and it would tend to be obvious if they did. By measured and appropriate exposure to the type of stimuli triggering negative affect(s), it appears that the subcortical subconscious affect neural circuitry is “learning” (implicitly) so as not to be so readily triggered by the stimuli, that the stimuli is not necessarily a threat/danger. There is probably some cognitive/ conscious (explicit) learning going on, perhaps some “tolerance” learning, but the focus is on the implicit learning by the subcortical affect circuitry.

I’m convinced of the efficacy (for appropriate disorders) of exposure therapy, and that it’s one of the few psychotherapies out there with some real neuroscience behind it. And yet, I’ve been around long enough to know that the “common factors” are the most essential aspects in successful psychotherapy.